[Limited-time feeding ("meal-feeding") and avitaminosis A : respiratory exchange and metabolic adaptation in rats].

Weanling male rats were fed ad libitum for 6 weeks with a normal or vitamin-A-deficient diet and then meal-fed 1 1/2 hours per 24 hours a 65 p. 100 glucose diet for not less than 3 weeks. The stomach of meal-fed rats develop and food intake is sufficient to ensure a normal rate of growth until deficients reached a plateau of weight. After the single daily meal the respiratory quotients are remaining high (QR greater than 1) all throught the day and decreases during the night (0,8) with all the animals. Fasting glycemia, insulinemia and liver glycogen of meal-feds are higher than ad libitum rats ones, but lower in deficients than in controls. Activities of NADPH2-linked enzymes (G6PDH, 6PGDH and NADP malate DH) are increased in meal-feeding, but avitaminosis A reduces by half this increase.